Process of treating and coloring wood and product of such process.



UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

LEIGH S. EACHE, OI IBOUNDEROOK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO BOUND BROOK OIL-LESS BEARING COMPANY, OF BOUNDBROOK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PROCESS OF TREATING AND COLORING WOOD AND PRODUCT OF SUCH PROCESS.

No Drawing.

of Boundbrook, in the county of Somerset and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Process of Treating and Coloring Wood and Product of Such Process, whereby an one skilled in the art ma make and use t 1e same.

he invention relates to the treatment of wood or like fiber to completely fill the res thereof, so that there will be no liability of change due to atmospheric or other conditions, so that the material may be used in the arts for various purposes. 1

It also relates to the securing of a permanent homogeneous color throughout the wood or fiber and the production of a selflubricating material.

The object of the invention is to provide a wood or like fiber which is impervious to moisture and uniformly impregnated through and through with a lubricating material.

A further object is to provide in a lubricant a coloring matter which will completely impregnate the material.

A further object is to provide a vehicle for thoroughly impregnating wood or fiber simultaneously utilizing therewith a lubri eating medium and in some instances a color which will hold and bind the impregnating materials.

Ithasg'long been a practice in the arts to color wood or fiber and impregnate the same to a 'greater'or less extent with waterproofingcompounds and fire-proofiri compounds and in many cases, compoun s have been employed which are of a lubricating character'.

So far as known to applicant such impregnation, coloring and lubricating treatments have acted only to certain depths upon the material and they have been of a character which did not prevent displacement of the lubricant when subjected to unusual wear or heat conditions. As an example, in impregnating and coloring wood, a skin of varying thickness has received the treatment, but if a comparatively large block is cut through, there is a lack of uniformity in the impregnation as well as in the coloring. It follows that such treatments have limited the sizes of the articles to be treated. It is one -.of the principal ob ects of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

Application filed June 15, 1914. Serial No. 845,084.

present invention to completely and thoroughly impregnate the wood or fiber through and through with a weather-resisting and lubricating material and utilizing .certain lubricants as a vehicle for introducing raphite which as is well known is an excellent lubricant, particularly when used in con unct ion with grease, oils or waxes.

In carrying out the process the Wood or similar fibrous material is dried out. Ordinarily wood or fiber which is suitably seasoned or kiln-dried will take the treatment and after subjected to the process will maintain a constant condition under all atmospheric and weather chan es and will hold its color perfectly. Inor er to secure the best results and to facilitate the speed in treatment, it is desirable to subject the wood or fiber to the action of heat and in conjunction with a vacuum so that the cellular formation of the wood or fiber will be entirel freed from moisture and air. Thus, each cel becomeswhat is in effect a miniature vacuum'chamber for the reception of the impregnating materials. A comparatively high heat is maintained which must easoned and of course be below the scorching or carbonizing point of the material and while under this dry condition, the impregnating materials are applied to the wood or fiber under a high heat and preferably under a pressure of from 75 to 100 pounds per square inch. The exact temperatures and pressures vary for the treatment of different characters of materials.

In carrying out the process, various materials may be used which include a combination of waxes of various characters, of mineral, vegetable or animal origin combined with products derived from volatile oils or produced by oxidization of hydrocarbons such as rosins and mixed with stearic acid' or its esters or glycerids or the commercial form of stearic acid known as stearin. These materials are used in conjunction with graphite in any required quantity and may-also be used in conjunction with coloring materials although the graphite itself is sufficient for producing a color. Where a coloring material is employed, it is preferred to use those which are soluble in oils as for instance, those having an indulin base made soluble with stearin or olein. These are soluble in the menstruum of the above admixed materials. The ingredients and their proportions may be varied somewhat to suit the exigencies of any particular case and in every case, the waxes, parafiins and rosins act as a vehicle or conveyor for thoroughly impregnating the material and carry the graphite or coloring matter and graphite completely through the fiber. IV hen combined and used as hereinafter described, the materials are thoroughly bound in the fiber with the graphite or coloring matter so that the article treated has a known constant proportion of impregnating materials and graphite or coloring matter. This constant, due to the binding of the impregnating materials in the fiber, is such that in use and under ordinary heats there will be no flow of the lubricants or loss to the impregnated material when said material is used for anti-friction purposes where heat would ordinarily be generated.

The wood or fiber treated under this process has the great advantage of immediately showing any imperfections in the material. Wood or fiber of imperfect form having tight grain, dry rot or sap grain will immediately indicate such imperfections by showing streakings indicating improper im pregnation.

In carrying out the process, the following ingredients are used: saturated hydro-carbon of the general series having the formula G H +2 in solid form, such as paraflin having a melting point between and 60 C.

' and boiling at 120 C. or higher; an animal,

mineral or vegetable wax preferably carnauba wax; a resinous materlal having a low melting point such as rosin; and stearic acid. To this is. added graphite which has been reduced to very fine form in such proportions as may be desired. Where other coloring materials are used, they are of the class which are soluble in oils and in the menstruum of the materials employed for saturation. These various ingredients are mixed in varying proportions and in some instances, the myrtle waxes are employed. It is desirable that the waxes and other materials utilized shallfor the greater part be those having a com parativelymigh melting point. Splendid results have'been secured with a mixture as follows: rosin 20 pounds, parafiin 100 pounds, carnauba wax 20 pounds or myrtle wax, and finely divided graphite in varying proportions to suit conditions of weight and qualities of lubrication. In some instances, comparatively small portions by weight of stearic acid are utilized. The stearic acid is not absolutely essential and need not be used when three or four pounds of coloring matter such as defined is employed with the above mixture. The

various materials are admixed by subjecting to heat in suitable vessels and raised to the boiling point. The temperature is then carried up to approximately 400 C. and the wood or fiber which has been previously subjected to similar heat in mono is placed in the heated cylinder. The impregnating materials are immediately absorbed by the wood or fiber and as the materials are boiled in the mixture, they attain a gravity suflicient to carry them to the bottom of the caldron. The wood or fiber is thoroughly and completely impregnated and the waxes, oils, etc., act as a perfect vehicle for carrying the graphite completely through the fiber.

In practice, it is preferred to utilize a graphite of good quality which has been reduced to a finely divided form of an impalpable powder or deflocculated. This, in its very finely divided form, is carried in suspension and completely impregna-tes the material.

It has been found that for purposes of bearings and the like, a wood or fiber so treated, serves as a perfect self-lubricating body and runs under extreme conditions of speed and duty without heating and without deterioration.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The herein described process of treating wood and fiber which consists in impregnating the material with a mixture of melted lubricants and graphite.

2. The herein described process of treating wood and fiber which consists in impregnating the wood and fiber through and through with graphite held in the impregnatmg mixture.

3. The herein described process of treating Wood and fiber which consists in subjecting said wood or fiber to a hot bath of saturated hydro-carbon, wax, a resinous material and graphite.

4. The herein described process of treating wood and fiber which consists in subjecting said wood or fiber to ahot bath of saturated hydro-carbon, wax, a resinous material and graphite, .with a coloring matter soluble inthe'menstruurnicomposed of said ingredients the said saturating ingredients co-acting to form a uniform saturation and also to prevent flow of the impregnating materials ithin the said body after it has been saturated.

5. A new product consisting of a solid fibrous body impregnated through and through with a water-resisting mixture containing graphite.

new product consisting of a solid fibrous body having introduced thereto in suspension graphite.

A new product consisting of a solid fibrous body impregnated through and through with graphite of a finely divided form carried in suspension in a vehicle composed of water-resisting materials.

8. A new product consisting of a solid fibrous body impregnated through and through with a compound of saturated hydro-carbon, Wax and graphite, said graphite carried in the vehicle composed of said ma terials, the specific gravity of the product being greater than that of the impregnating medium.

9. The herein described process of treating Wood and fiber, which consists in sub jecting said material to heat under vacuum; preparing an impregnating bath of waterresisting materials containing graphite under vacuum; and under the action of heat, subjecting the material to the impregnating bath; and applying a pressure thereto.

10. The herein described process of treating Wood and fiber which consists in subjecting said material to the action of heat W. F. JENNINGS. 

